A golden hour at Cheltenham to live long, long, in the memory.
Tears of joy, tears of sadness, magnificent racing, and two stories that will now enter the pantheon of great Festival folklore.
So much happened between 3.30pm and 4.30pm it’s hard to know where to begin.
A day of days to rival Dawn Run or Arkle or Istabraq. Take your pick.
The dust had not even settled on Constitution Hill’s simply stunning Champion Hurdle success when Honeysuckle, that mighty mare, brought the house down just 40 minutes later.
It was that fairytale ending to Honeysuckle’s wonderful career we all craved.
A career that’s seen her now win four times at the Festival with two Champion Hurdles and two Mares’ Hurdles.
All under her perfect and peerless partner in Rachael Blackmore.
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For her trainer Henry De Bromhead and his wife Heather and the whole Honeysuckle team, it was a hugely emotional and bitter-sweet success.
Last September their 13-year-old son Jack was tragically killed in a freak riding accident - after falling from his pony in a race in Kerry.
It was a devastating blow and shocking loss for the Waterford based family. A crushing blow that also cut deep inside the close community of Irish racing.
Losing a child so young is every parent’s worst nightmare. The De Bromhead family will never get their Jack back but days like yesterday at Cheltenham will help the healing.
Jack was Honeysuckle’s and Rachael’s biggest fan and what she said afterwards was something we we’re all thinking and feeling.
“We all wish a very special kid could be with us today, but he’s watching down on us.”
De Bromhead punched the air in joy as Honeysuckle received her heroes welcome in the winners’ enclosure. He was ecstatic and the 65,000 loved every minute of it.
There were tears too. Lots of them. And only those with a heart of stone could not feel the emotion on a spring tingling afternoon of sport.
It was a day’s action in the Cotswolds that not even a Hollywood scriptwriter could have written.
Constitution Hill is an extraordinary horse doing extraordinary things but Honeysuckle’s stirring win in the bright spring sunshine stole his thunder. And no one minded.
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She had ducked a clash with Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. Not all agreed with the decision but no one can argue that she got the send-off she deserved.
De Bromhead was in floods of tears giving his interviews.
"She read the script!" he said. “It’s just a massive result. We know Jack is always with us and I’m sure he was here on Rachael's shoulder. Honeysuckle has been a huge part of our life and Jack just adored her – so she did it as much for him as she did for all of us.
“So many emotions (were going through my mind), it was ridiculous. It’s brilliant and she’s just such an incredible mare, we feel so privileged and lucky to have had anything to do with her. It just meant so much, you dream of a fairy-tale ending and it doesn’t normally happen, but it has here and she’s read the script.
“Rachael and Honey are two divas together and I’m going to keep saying that now as it really annoys Rachael! The two divas together. Rachael is class and she gave her a super ride. She’s an amazing lady and I’m very lucky to have her.”
Honeysuckle has now won 17 of her 19 races and pocketed e1.5m for her Scottish-based owner Kenny Alexander.
She wasn’t officially retired yesterday but De Bromhead said he didn’t expect her to race again. How could you top that yesterday? It would be impossible.
“I’m pretty sure (it’s her final race), it’s not my call but I’m 99 percent sure. I’d prefer Kenny (Alexander) to say for sure though as he’s the owner. I’m pretty sure that’s it though and to go out like that is incredible.”
Incredible is the word Blackmore used frequently too. The mare has been a massive part of her success story and to win four times at the Festival is a magnificent achievement.
“She is unbelievable. The way Henry has produced her every day is phenomenal. She’s just a phenomenal mare, she’s been incredible for my career.
“You come to Cheltenham with Honeysuckle to ride and every jockey dreams of having the likes of her to go to Cheltenham with. She has given us so much and I’m so grateful to her. It will be different without her here next year.”
Incredible too is the strength the De Bromhead family and their entire team have shown in the last six months following Jack’s sad passing.
Honeysuckle and Blackmore channelled that strength today.
It was an astonishing atmosphere that few have felt here before.
Jack De Bromhead is gone but never forgotten. On days like this his spirit lives on.
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